The present application includes a computer program listing appendix on compact disc. A duplicate compact disc has also been provided. Each compact disc contains an ASCII text file of the computer program listing as follows:
Filed named xe2x80x9cASM_UTILxe2x80x9d of size 1 KB created on Jul. 18, 1995 10:05 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cASM_UTIL.S03xe2x80x9d of size 7 KB created on Jul. 18, 1995 10:06 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cCLOCK.Cxe2x80x9d of size 22 KB created on Feb. 28, 1996 10:53 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cCLOCK.Hxe2x80x9d of size 7 KB created on Feb. 28, 1996 12:56 PM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cCOMMAND.S03xe2x80x9d of size 14 KB created on Jul. 18, 1995 10:04 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cCONTROL.Cxe2x80x9d of size 6 KB created on May 12, 1998 11:21 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cCONVERT.S03xe2x80x9d of size 9 KB created on Jul. 18, 1995 10:04 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cCRC.S03xe2x80x9d of size 12 KB created on Jul. 18, 1995 10:06 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cCSTARTUP.S03xe2x80x9d of size 9 KB created on Sep. 19, 1994 9:26 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cDISP_UTL.Cxe2x80x9d of size 35 KB created on Aug. 27, 1998 11:49 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cDISPENSR.Cxe2x80x9d of size 4 KB created on Aug. 27, 1998 11:49 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cDISPENSR.Hxe2x80x9d of size 8 KB created on Aug. 27, 1998 4:20 PM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cDISPLAY.S03xe2x80x9d of size 7 KB created on Jul. 18, 1995 10:04 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cDS2401.Cxe2x80x9d of size 11 KB created on Nov. 12, 1997 10:44 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cDS2401.Hxe2x80x9d of size 4 KB created on Jul. 18, 1995 9:45 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cDUART.Cxe2x80x9d of size 25 KB created on Dec. 30, 1997 10:44 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cDUART.Hxe2x80x9d of size 29 KB created on Dec. 30, 1997 1:12 PM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cFAST_CLK.S03xe2x80x9d of size 11 KB created on Jul. 18, 1995 10:06 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cFUNCTION.Hxe2x80x9d of size 25 KB created on Aug. 11, 1998 4:19 PM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cGLOBALS.Cxe2x80x9d of size 15 KB created on Aug. 25, 1998 12:09 PM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cGLOBALS.Hxe2x80x9d of size 14 KB created on Aug. 25, 1998 12:09 PM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cINTERUPT.Cxe2x80x9d of size 37 KB created on Feb. 24, 1998 3:36 PM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cL18.S03xe2x80x9d of size 3 KB created on Sep. 16, 1994 4:47 PM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cLAT.Cxe2x80x9d of size 4 KB created on Aug. 13, 1998 9:02 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cLAT.Hxe2x80x9d of size 11 KB created on Feb. 6, 1998 1:52 PM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cLAT_UTL.Cxe2x80x9d of size 39 KB created on Aug. 7, 1998 3:55 PM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cLEDxe2x80x9d of size 7 KB created on Jul. 18, 1995 10:05 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cMACRO.Hxe2x80x9d of size 3 KB created on Jan. 12, 1998 4:47 PM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cMAIN.Cxe2x80x9d of size 20 KB created on Aug. 13, 1998 9:41 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cMEMORY.MAPxe2x80x9d of size 3 KB created on Sep. 14, 1994: 4:51 PM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cMESSAGES.S03xe2x80x9d of size 4 KB created on Jul. 18, 1995 10:04 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cMUX.Cxe2x80x9d of size 15 KB created on May 11, 1998 2:33 PM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cMUX.Hxe2x80x9d of size 27 KB created on Aug. 27, 1998 11:49 PM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cP1_UTL.Cxe2x80x9d of size 6 KB created on Jul. 18, 1995 9:55 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cP2_UTL.Cxe2x80x9d of size 14 KB created on Feb. 24, 1998 4:50 PM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cPROGRESS.Hxe2x80x9d of size 13 KB created on Feb. 28, 1996 7:50 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cRAM_TEST.S03xe2x80x9d of size 6 KB created on Jul. 18, 1995 10:06 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cRELOAD.S03xe2x80x9d of size 5 KB created on Jul. 18, 1995 10:04 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cRLD_UTIL.S03xe2x80x9d of size 13 KB created on Jul. 18, 1995 10:04 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cROM_TEST.S03xe2x80x9d of size 10 KB created on Jan. 12, 1998 10:09 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cRS485.Hxe2x80x9d of size 5 KB created on Jul. 20, 1995 8:48 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cRS485UTL.Cxe2x80x9d of size 16 KB created on Feb. 24, 1998 3:31 PM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cRTERM.S03xe2x80x9d of size 12 KB created on Jul. 18, 1995 10:04 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cSER_UTL.Cxe2x80x9d of size 5 KB created on Dec. 30, 1997 1:06 PM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cSERIAL.Hxe2x80x9d of size 10 KB created on Dec. 30, 1997 1:12 PM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cSMUX.Cxe2x80x9d of size 11 KB created on Mar. 27, 1998 12:40 PM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cSMUX.Hxe2x80x9d of size 19 KB created on Aug. 13, 1998 9:59 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cSPRINTF.Cxe2x80x9d of size 1 KB created on Apr. 24, 1993 2:34 PM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cTERM_UTL.Cxe2x80x9d of size 52 KB created on Aug. 13, 1998 12:21 PM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cTERMINAL.Cxe2x80x9d of size 62 KB created on Aug. 25, 1998 1:27 PM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cTERMINAL.Hxe2x80x9d of size 18 KB created on Aug. 15, 1998 9:04 AM;
Filed named xe2x80x9cTIMER.S03xe2x80x9d of size 3 KB created on Jul. 18, 1995 10:04 AM;
The material contained in each of these files is hereby incorporated by reference.
This invention relates generally to improvements in payout storage and control systems and methods and, more particularly, to a new and improved system and method for securely storing and controlling the dispensing of a payout.
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
It has been known to provide systems such as retail registers and change machines for storing and enabling the dispensing of payouts at locations such as retail stores or the like. A large supply of money had to be kept on hand at such locations, to cover substantial transactions, requiring inefficient and inconvenient refilling of such supply on a relatively frequent basis. Further, such large supplies of money were maintained in relatively insecure retail registers and/or change machines at such locations, where such machines were subject to theft of the money by criminals and/or attendants.
It has been further known in jurisdictions where gambling is legal, such as Nevada, to have gaming machines at locations such as convenience stores, grocery stores, taverns, or the like, as for example video poker machines and/or electronic slot machines. The gaming machines may include coin hoppers for receiving coins for game play and for storing coins for payment of payouts such as cash outs and/or jackpots resulting from the play of the game. The coin hoppers in such machines had to be refilled relatively frequently due to substantial payouts. Further, large amounts of money had to be kept on hand at such remote locations, to cover substantial payouts incurred at such machines beyond the amount of coins in the coin hoppers. Also, such large amounts of money were maintained in relatively insecure retail registers and/or change machines at such locations, where such machines were also subject to theft of the money by criminals and/or attendants.
In addition to such refilling and security issues, in a route type environment, wherein the route may comprise locations remote from each other for refilling retail registers, change machines, and/or gaming machine coin hoppers, the frequency of refilling has greatly increased and has become very much of an inconvenience. In such route type environment, particularly for gaming machine locations, the inconvenience of frequent refilling has escalated with the popularity of bill acceptors in gaming machines, where the coin hoppers are not replenished with coins played into the machine, whereby payouts cannot be made from the coin hopper without emptying it.
Therefore, those concerned with the development and use of improved payout storage and control systems and methods and the like have recognized the need for improved systems and methods for enabling a substantial supply of payouts to be securely stored and for controlling the dispensing of the payouts, so as to reduce the need for frequent refilling thereof.
Accordingly, the present invention fulfills these needs by providing efficient and effective systems and methods for securely storing and controlling the dispensing of a payout, so as to enable a substantial supply of payouts to be securely stored, to reduce the need for refilling of the payout supply, and to control the dispensing of a payout.
Briefly, and in general terms, the present invention provides a new and improved system and method for securely storing and controlling the dispensing of a payout.
By way of example, and not by way of limitation, the present invention provides a new and improved system for enabling the secure storing and controlled dispensing of a payout, so as to increase security and reduce the need for refilling thereof.
More particularly, the present invention may include a system for securely storing and controlling the dispensing of a payout at a local station. The system may include a payout dispenser, for securely storing and dispensing a payout. It may further include a terminal, for controlling the dispensing of the payout, adapted to be connected to the payout dispenser and to interface with an attendant in connection with the payout. The system may also include a network for interconnecting the payout dispenser and the terminal.
The payout dispenser may be adapted to store and dispense a payout in a payout dispenser denomination, and the system may further include a device for indicating a payout payable responsive to the input of a person to whom the payout is payable, such as for a cashout or jackpot resulting from the play of a game in a gaming machine. The payout indicating device may be connected to the payout dispenser and the terminal by a network. The system may further include a device for enabling the dispensing of a payout breakage amount, which is the difference between the payout in the payout dispenser denomination and the payment to be paid out, in a payout breakage denomination smaller than the payout dispenser denomination.
In such a system adapted to include a central station and a plurality of local stations, the central station may include a central terminal for centrally controlling the dispensing of the payouts at the local stations. The plurality of local stations may each be adapted to be connected to the central station, and may each include a payout dispenser, and a local terminal. The system may further include a network for interconnecting the central station and the local station, adapted to interconnect the local station payout dispenser, the local terminal, and the central terminal.
Therefore an advantage of the present invention is that it includes a system for enabling the secure storing and controlled dispensing of a payout. A plurality of payout indicating devices such as gaming machines may be connected at a remote location to a local terminal and/or a central terminal, to enable payments to be efficiently and securely made for winnings and/or cash outs posted on the gaming machines. A payout dispenser enables a payout attendant on site to efficiently make the appropriate payout from the supply of the payout denomination securely stored in and automatically dispensed from the payout dispenser, under the control of the local or central terminal for verification of the transaction. In a local-central networked system, the on-site local terminal is adapted to be controlled by the central terminal at the central station for verification of transactions. The system is adapted to efficiently make payment determinations based on the amount of the transaction, to effectively verify the transaction amount, and to efficiently decide whether a payout may be dispensed from the payout dispenser and/or whether the payment may be effected from the payout breakage device which may be funded by the payout dispenser.
Another advantage is that the present invention provides a system adapted to be securely and conveniently installed in locations such as convenience stores, grocery stores, or taverns, where it may not have been available previously because of the security risk in the large amounts of payouts that were necessary to be kept on hand, and because it would not be desirable to have large amounts in non-secure containers.
A further advantage is that the present invention enables the convenient and efficient supplying of sufficient payouts for secure storing and automatic verified dispensing thereof, in a route type system with spread out locations where dispenser are located remotely from each other.
A still further advantage is that the system enables the automatic payout from the secure supply in the payout dispenser, in locations where the payout indicating devices comprise gaming machines which may include bill acceptors and coin hoppers, while substantially eliminating the need for frequent inconvenient and inefficient refilling of the coin hoppers, and enables payouts to be made from a central fund to circumvent the rapidly dissipated supply of coins in coin hoppers in gaming machines.
Another advantage is that the payout dispenser comprises a secure safe-like container, rather than a cash drawer which may be readily pried open or easily accessed by a criminal, providing secure storage of the payout supply. Further, on-site attendant need not be provided with a key to the payout dispenser, whereby the attendant may not be able to obtain access to the payout supply if a criminal or the attendant desires to obtain such access.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of illustrative embodiments.